In brief
The PP posted a 51-second AI video showing synthetic versions of Begoña Gómez, José Luis Ábalos, José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, Leire Díez, Montse Mínguez and Santos Cerdán, each shown admitting alleged offences.
Sources at Ferraz told Europa Press the party is studying legal action but has not decided whether to file or which offences it would cite.
Europa Press reported more than one million views on X, more than 500,000 on Instagram and more than 200,000 on TikTok, while EL PAÍS counted almost two million views in 11 hours.
Borja Sémper said he was not concerned about AI or originality, arguing the video mocks PSOE hypocrisy rather than trying to pass as real.
A parody built on AI-made figures
On Wednesday evening, 21 October 2026, the Partido Popular posted an AI-generated video that copies a clip Pedro Sánchez had published that morning on his official account. Sánchez's clip, posted at 8.29am, defended being 'zurdo' (leftist) and appeared just before Javier Milei spoke at the Casino de Madrid, during a visit in which Milei insulted Sánchez, according to La Vanguardia. The PP kept the same format but turned the closing slogan into 'lerdos y orgullosos' (dim and proud). The video features synthetic versions of Begoña Gómez, former minister José Luis Ábalos, former president José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, former PSOE member Leire Díez, former PSOE spokesperson Montse Mínguez and former organisation secretary Santos Cerdán, each shown saying lines that admit alleged offences or irregular dealings. The video carries an AI label, but it is set in tiny, transparent type at the bottom, which EL PAÍS says is nearly invisible for most of the clip.
Reach and disclosure
Europa Press reported more than one million views on X, more than 500,000 on Instagram and more than 200,000 on TikTok. EL PAÍS counted almost two million views in 11 hours across the three platforms, with more than 66,000 likes and 18,000 users sharing it. The figures show how quickly the clip spread after it was posted on the party's official accounts.
- X (over 1 million)
- 1000000 views
- Instagram (over 500,000)
- 500000 views
- TikTok (over 200,000)
- 200000 views
Data from the article text
PSOE weighs legal action
Sources at Ferraz, the PSOE headquarters, told Europa Press that the party is studying legal action against the PP but has not decided whether to file or which criminal offences it would cite. Rebeca Torró, the PSOE's organisation secretary, criticised the video on Cadena SER's Hoy por Hoy programme and said the PP was now turning to artificial intelligence. Torró said the PP had nothing to offer the country beyond the following:
“They have no project to offer this country beyond noise, lies and insults, permanently.”
El Periódico described the clip as a parody that uses AI to make the PSOE figures voice lines meant to discredit them over corruption scandals from the last legislature. The PP's move is aimed at the party led by Alberto Núñez Feijóo, against which the PSOE is weighing its options.
The PP defends its use of AI
Borja Sémper, the PP's national spokesperson, defended the video while speaking to reporters in Torrejón de Ardoz, Madrid. He said he was not concerned about the use of artificial intelligence or about originality, and that his worry was the insults.
“I am not worried about artificial intelligence being used or about originality in how we communicate. And this initiative meets those requirements.”
Sémper said that if the video had been made to convince people that the figures were real, the party would have a problem. He argued that viewers could read it as a way of using digital tools to expose what he called the PSOE's hypocrisy. On LaSexta's Más Vale Tarde, commentator Iñaki López said the video was a dangerous message and asked what would follow if a party aiming to govern normalised AI impersonation, saying the approach 'smells of Trumpism'. La Vanguardia said the move raised doubts about its legitimacy and possibly its legality.